Testing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Modified apparatus for testing the adhesive strength of the bond between the liner and medium in corrugated paperboard in which a clamp is used having a plate 24 abutting one liner and fingers or prongs 21 holding the medium and liner against the plate 24. The bond between the medium and the other liner is measured by applying a force to a strip bonded to the other liner and measuring the applied force which results in failure of the bond. The sample preparation required is simplified with this design which avoids the use of hooks penetrating the sample.

This invention relates to methods of failure testing of materials and inparticular corrugated paper board and an apparatus for carrying out themethod.

One particular aspect of corrugated board quality control is the qualityof the adhesive bond between the lines and the medium, particularly its,resistance to water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Three test methods have been used.

Three standard test is a subjective test of immersion of a sample inwater then manual peeling of the liners from the medium and a visualassessment of fibre tear. Absence of fibre tear indicates poor adhesiveresistance to water damage.

The FEFCO method No. 9 involves the immersion of a piece of board inwater with a specified number of glue bonds subjected to the loadimposed by a hanging weight (either 250 or 350 g). The number of hoursthe bond can withstand the load is measured.

Another more objective method is described in Australian Pat. No.581511. That patent discloses a technique of preparing a sample ofcorrugated board by isolating a portion of the outer liner by removingpart of the liner to isolate one piece attached to the medium. A hole oreyelet is prepared in the other portion of the board and a plastic stripis hot melt bonded to the portion of liner to be tested.

Hooks are placed in a hole in the plastic strip and the board. Thetesting apparatus comprises a beam balance with a water collecter on onebeam and the sample on the other. The plastic strip is connected to thebalance beam while the paperboard sample is secured to the stand. Wateris added progressively to the collecter until the wet sample fails andthe liner is displaced from the medium. This method aims to apply aconstantly increasing force parallel to the glue lines of the sample.

Whilst this test was the first method to produce quantitative results, anumber of difficulties exist with this method. The apparatus is clumsyand difficult to control and must be attended by an operator. Samplepreparation is tedious and must be carefully done to avoid damage to themedium. The wet sample also tends to tear at the hole in the secondportion. Further, if the glue bond of the side to be tested isappreciably stronger than the glue bond in the other side of the sample,then failure occurs on the weaker side rather than on the side to betested.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to overcome these problems.

The present invention provides a clamp which enables one liner to mediumglue bond to be tested whilst firmly securing the medium and otherliner. This method specifically loads the glue bond under test andavoids the problem of the sample merely failing at its weakest point.

In particular this invention provides apparatus for testing the strengthof the adhesive bond between a corrugated paperboard medium and a linercomprising a load measuring device and a load applying device andconnected between them is a means for clamping said medium and a meansfor securing said liner such that a load is applied to said medium/linerbond in a plane parallel to said adhesive bond.

A sample of board to be tested is carefully cut and the liner adjacentto the glue bond under test is bonded to a plastic strip.

The liner and medium on the opposite side to the glue bond to be testedare securely fixed to the test instrument by a clamping arrangement. Thepreferred form of clamp comprises a body section projecting from whichis a series of prongs adapted to fit within the flutes of the corrugatedmedium at the appropriate flute pitch and a backing plate loaded againstthe other face of the liner, and such backing plate is connected to saidbody section. The backing plate is adjustable to clamp the liner and theglue bond not under test between the prongs and the backing plate.

The plastic strip is then secured to a projecting tongue in the testinstrument. This strip is preferably connected to the load applyingdevice while the gripping device for the medium is connected to a loadcell as part of the load measuring device.

This arrangement means that a small sample is cut from the board to betested and no further preparation is required. The sample is effectivelytensioned by means of securely holding one liner and the medium bondedto it and applying a shearing force to the other liner.

Another aspect of this invention provides a testing apparatuscomprising:

(1) a load cell attached to which a sample clamp as described aboveopposed to which is;

(2) a second sample clamp secured to a means for applying aprogressively increasing force to the glue bond under the test via theplastic strip. The preferred embodiment of this is a projecting lug orother clamping arrangement which attaches to the plastic strip;

(3) a controller for controlling the force applied to the sample by saidmeans; and

(4) a measuring and display device for measuring the force at whichdisplacement and sample failure occur and displaying it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred form of ,this invention will now be described in which FIG.1 is a schematic view of a testing apparatus of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus and

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2 and

FIG. 4A is a detailed view of the clamp as shown in FIG. 3 and

FIG. 4B is a side view of the prepared sample.

The apparatus comprises a body section 5 mounted on which is a load cell6 secured to which is clamp means 7 and mounted at the other end is theforce applying device 9 secured to which is the projecting tongue 10.

The sample 8 is held between the clamp 7 and projecting tongue 10. Thecontroller 11 incorporates a microprocessor and is programmed toprovide:

(i) force measurement and control;

(ii) failure detection of sample;

(iii) shear rate input;

(iv) display functions;

(v) a calibration routine;

(vi) statistical processing of results.

The sample 8 best seen in FIG. 4B comprises the topliner 15, the medium16 and the bottom liner 17. Liner 15 is bonded preferably by doublesided tape to a plastic strip 18. A hole in plastic strip 18 clips intoplace over the projecting lug on the tongue 10.

The clamp 7 best seen in FIG. 4A comprises a body section 20, a set ofprongs 21 which lie on medium 16. These prongs 21 are secured to bodysection 20 by the screws 22. Plate 24 abuts the outerface of liner 17 sothat liner 17 and medium 16 are held between plate 24 and prongs 21.Plate 24 is supported on screw jack 25 which is mounted for threadedmovement in body section 20. The screw jack 25 with associated springensures the plate 24 is strongly loaded against liner 17. The abutmentplate 23 which is part of the body section 20 of clamp 7 is arrangedaround prongs 21 to prevent any movement of the medium 16 and bottomliner 17.

The avoidance of hooks by using clamp 7 not only avoids tearing of thesample but also enables better sample alignment so that shear force isapplied parallel to the flutes and the adhesion lines between the mediumand the liner.

From the above it can be seen that the apparatus and sample holderprovide a simple and effective means of measuring the wet strength ofadhesive bonds in corrugated boards.

We claim:
 1. In corrugated paperboard which comprises a corrugatedmedium with flutes held between a first liner and a second liner, asystem for testing the strength of the adhesive bond between saidcorrugated medium and one first liner, comprising a load measuringdevice and a load applying device, gripping means connected to said loadmeasuring device for clamping said medium of a sample of said corrugatedpaperboard, said gripping means comprising a plate and a plurality ofprongs adapted to lie within the flutes of the corrugated medium, saidsample having been prepared by bonding a rigid strip to the surface ofsaid first liner, said load applying device applying force to said stripbonded to the first liner in a plane parallel to said adhesive bond. 2.The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gripping means isconnected to said load measuring device and said strip is held by saidload applying device.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, whereinsaid load applying device has a projecting tongue and said sample isheld between said tongue and said gripping means.
 4. The apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the strength being measured is the wetstrength.